


Daddy's Little Girl

by thelittleunicorn



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Ambiguous mother for Nina, Deeprealms, Father-Daughter Relationship, Gen, I just really love them ok - Freeform, Invisible Kingdom | Revelation Route, No Spoilers, Slice of life/snippets narration, Wrtitten for Fire Emblem Gen Week, mention of a few other characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-29
Updated: 2018-01-29
Packaged: 2019-03-11 04:47:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13516872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thelittleunicorn/pseuds/thelittleunicorn
Summary: The moment Nina was born, Niles knew she meant the world to him.But raising a child in the middle of the war is certainly no easy task and broken promises can make even the strongest bond falter.As father and daughter now need to finally understand each other, Niles tries to mend his relationship with Nina, before he ends up losing her forever.(Written for Fire Emblem Gen Week)





	Daddy's Little Girl

**Author's Note:**

> Hey Guys!!
> 
> Here's a new story, written for Fire Emblem Gen Week (though it ended a while ago).
> 
> Kind of a character/relationship study for two of my favorite characters. Also I took this opportunity to incorporate my own headcanons ^^
> 
> This was fun to write and I hope you'll like it!!
> 
> (Beta Read by my mother (no kidding) and my best friend By-the-blue (find her on tumblr, she draws good). Thank you both ^^)

When he first learned that he would soon become a father, Niles wasn’t sure how to react.

It had really come as a shock, especially since he definitely didn’t think he would be having a child so soon. After all, he had been one of the first to disapprove of the baby boom going on in the army recently.

It didn’t take too long for him to settle with the idea though. He truly loved his wife and he had to admit that, deep down, the idea of having his own family was oddly comforting.

The big day finally came and, after being threatened by his darling love for the third time, Niles then chose to exile himself out of the room. While he understood that childbirth was really painful, he still held some parts of his body too dear to risk anything.

When the screams of pain eventually stopped, he dared to take a careful step back into the room.

His wife was asleep in the bed, looking completely exhausted. He walked quietly to her side before slowly stroking her cheek. Niles may have slightly feared her anger in the last hours, but he still admired what she had just gone through for their family.

He suddenly heard someone approaching and turned to see the young Hoshidan princess enter the room, with a little bundle in her arms. As she saw him, she smiled before handing him the package.

\- H-Here. You can hold her i-if you want.

Unsure of what to do, he reached very carefully for the baby all wrapped up in linens, Sakura helping him until he had a good and safe hold.

Niles finally managed to ask:

\- You said her?

There was no way for the healers in the army to determine what would be the babies’ gender and, despite the insistence of curious parents, Orochi had completely refused to use her divination to answer their questions. She claimed it was because of fate, Niles claimed it was because she was a swindler. Well, to each their own explanation.

Nonetheless, it left many, Niles included, with the curiosity of what would life give them. Would he be raising a son or a daughter?

Sakura gave him the answer.

\- C-Congratulations! I-it’s a beautiful baby girl!

Suddenly, they were sounds coming from another room and she quickly excused herself before leaving him alone with the baby.  
Almost afraid to move, he lowered his gaze to look at his daughter. She was so small, Niles feared she could break just like that. But, looking at her still sleeping soundly in his arms, he could also see that she was a lot stronger than he thought.

\- So... did you already decide what name you wish to give it?

He hadn’t heard anyone come in but his lord’s voice didn’t really surprise him. He turned to face the prince, who was still standing in the doorway, not wanting to intrude.

Niles reaffirmed his hold on his daughter before answering.

\- We talked over a couple of names but none seemed really satisfying... I want to make sure she has a name she can be proud of.

\- So, it’s a girl then.

It wasn’t a question as Leo was simply stating the obvious, but the prince seemed slightly nervous, as if waiting to ask something else.

-I was wondering... do you intend to place her in a deeprealm?

Ah…the Deeprealms. They were planes of existence apart from their world, supposedly safe from everything. Ever since Corrin and Azura had suggested placing their children there, to shield them from the war, it had become the biggest controversy of the army.

Some were on board with the idea. Some were intensely against. Niles still remembered the outbursts from Selena, Laslow and Odin when they first heard of the deeprealms. But the outlaw knew the latter’s wife was currently expecting and he wondered if the eccentric mage would still hold the same opinion, when he would himself become a father.

As for Niles and his wife, they were among those who were hesitant on the subject. They had opted to decide what to do only when their child would be born.

Well, they had a choice to make then.

\- I think we will... War is never kind to anyone, especially infants. Should we fall in battle, she would stand no chance to survive. I... I want to keep her safe.

Leo simply nodded in agreement. After all, the Nohrian prince had already placed his own son in a deeprealm as soon as he was born.

A moment of silence floated around as Niles looked back to the baby in his arms. As he was contemplating his daughter, she stirred slightly, opening her eyes a little.

He met her baby blue eyes and his world turned upside down.

All of it suddenly dawned on him in one fell swoop. The pressure of being a good father, then the realization that he didn’t know what that was. After all, through all his life of misery, he never had a father figure to look up to. Would he be able to care for his own daughter?

All Niles knew, right now, was that he would do anything to protect her, to make sure she would never have to walk the same path he had to.

He then felt her tiny hand wrapped around his finger as she was still looking intensely at him. And Niles smiled.

His lord, who was still waiting by the door, simply made a questioning sound.

\- Nina...

The baby started to babble happily at the appellation, much to Niles’ delight.

\- You like that? Well then, hello Nina...

Stroking her little hand still holding his finger, he added.

\- You and I will have a long way together...

And right at that moment, Niles swore to himself that he would never abandon her.

* * *

Not long after her birth, Nina was put away in a deeprealm, left in the care of competent nurses and guards. Still, both her parents made sure to visit as often as they could. The caretakers were relieved when Niles visited, as the outlaw seemed to be the only one able to calm his daughter. Nina would whine, scream and cry, but this daddy’s little girl would always find her smile back as soon as her father held her. Niles had no idea what he did that was so special, but he cherished every one of these moments.

Time in the deeprealm was really fleeting, therefore making the babies grow way faster than they normally would. It wasn’t long before Nina was able to talk and walk. Unfortunately, while they were extremely sad to miss out on some of these milestones, her parents’ visits were getting more and more scattered as the war was not getting any easier.

Nina kept growing and soon became an adorable little girl, with pale blue eyes and a cute smile. Her hair was the same color as her mother’s and seemed to get longer every time Niles visited. At some point, it even got so unruly that it started to get stuck everywhere, with rebel strands always falling in front of her eyes.

One day, she finally got fed up and ran to her father, with a determined look on her face and a brush in her hand.

\- Daddy! Fix it!

Niles turned away from what he was doing to look at her.

\- Fix what Nina?

She made an exasperated gesture towards her head.

\- This!

He quickly understood she was asking him to do her hair, but he had absolutely no idea how to do so.

\- Hum... Maybe your mother would be more qualify to help...

But she simply had to look at him with puppy dog eyes for him to cave in. Oh…what he would do for his daughter...

He made her sit in front of him with no clue of where to start. Niles had no experience with girl’s hair, at least in the hairdo department. He didn’t know how to curl or style them, but he had to figure something out.

Wait... back in the days, he used to help braid the ropes for his group. Maybe he could start from there.

He parted her hair in two and got to work. He focused all his attention on the task at hand, trying his hardest. But, as soon as he was done, Niles was forced to admit that the result was a mess.

Little hairs were spiking out everywhere along the braids and, despite his best effort to style her bangs, one little strand kept curling upward.

As soon as he put down the brush, Nina got up, running for the nearest mirror. She took the time to look at herself, turning around to see from all angles. Niles was preparing himself for her disappointment when she turned to him, the biggest smile on her face.

\- That’s perfect!! I want my hair like that forever!

Before he could process her reaction, she ran to grab him in a crushing hug.

\- Thanks daddy! Now I need to go show mommy.

And, just like that, she was gone from the room, leaving Niles with the brush in his hand and a confused look on his face.

Well, that worked out better than expected, he thought with a smile. Definitely, Nina would never stop to surprise him.

* * *

Despite her enthusiasm, Nina wasn’t a very sociable person, preferring to keep herself to the side and observe around. She would watch people pass by like it was nothing, but would memorize all the details of that encounter. She often shared those details with her father and Niles had to admit that it was pretty impressive. And he definitely could understand her desire to stay on the sideline, silent but always watching. She probably inherited that from him.

But it wasn’t long before he noticed that there was something else his daughter definitely picked up from him.

When Nina got just a bit older, he started hearing complaints from the caretakers. Random items in the house kept disappearing and no one could manage to find them back. They had searched everywhere and were getting worried that criminals might be lurking around the house.

But the objects they took were never really expensive or rare and Niles was certain the culprit was hiding way closer than they thought.

When he entered his daughter’s room, Niles was greeted by a bone crushing hug as she jumped on him from behind. He hadn’t seen her go around and had to admit that she was pretty good at being sneaky; all the more reasons to have this conversation now.

After returning the hug, he crouched to be at eye level with the young girl.

\- Nina, hand it over.

She stared at him with a questioning look but he knew her well enough to see that she understood. He added, still with a firm tone.

\- I know you took them so give it back now... Or I’ll come and get it myself.

She tried to play off the innocent look a few more seconds but, realizing how serious her father was, she shrugged and literally went crawling under her bed to retrieve a small box. As she gave it to him, he opened it only to find all the objects that had gone missing.

Having now solved the mystery, Niles sighed before looking down at his daughter.

\- Nina, I am not proud of you right now.

She was purposely not looking at him, with her lips curled down into a pout.

\- Stealing is bad. You must never do it, you hear me. And I mean never...

\- Well, you do it so why can’t I?

She had interrupted him with a sour look and he stood there, surprised by the unexpected comeback, before asking:

\- Who told you that?

She looked awkwardly at the floor.

\- I heard them talk while you were away. They said you were a thief and used to be very bad.

Niles sighed, not pleased by the turn of events. Damn all those blabber mouths! He didn’t know what to respond to that but tried to explain the truth.

\- Well, it’s partially true, yes. But I did it only to survive in a very dangerous world. I don’t want you to follow in those footsteps. So, I don’t want you to ever steal again.

She lowered her gaze, but agreed disappointedly. Niles knew this had to be a difficult situation to understand for her young mind, but he needed to draw the line before it went too far.

He lovingly ruffled her hair, wanting to reassure her that he was not mad.

\- You may not see it now but, one day, I’ll explain everything and you’ll understand.

Nina simply nodded, still looking unsure. Niles reached out his hand, inviting her to follow him.

\- Come now, I think we have some items to return. We wouldn’t want them to sound the alarm, hum?

He chuckled as his daughter winced in reluctance but still resigned herself, taking his hand.

And, as they got out of the room, he reminded himself to make some adjustments among the gossiping caretakers.

* * *

In the next few weeks, he didn’t hear any more complaints about stealing and hoped that his daughter had truly understood the message. Nina was growing so fast and was almost a teenager, last time Niles came to visit. She had taken up archery training, much to his pleasure, but was spending most of her time lost in her notebook, day dreaming about things.

Being older didn’t make her less of a daddy’s girl though, as he noticed when she refused to let him leave the property.

\- Nina, I need to leave now.

She did not answer but remained standing in the way, unmoving. Niles simply sighed before trying to reason her.

\- You can’t block the door forever, darling.

She gave him an almost challenging look.

\- And who says I can’t? At least, this way, you won’t leave me behind.

Niles was starting to get a bit annoyed with this.

\- Nina enough! Move now, there are people counting on me out there.

Her answer didn’t wait, as she shouted angrily.

\- And I’m counting on you right here! Am I less important than those stupid royals?

\- Nina!

But, before he had the time to say anything about her language, the young girl started crying, taking Niles completely by surprise.

\- What...?

\- You’re always gone... All I want is for my daddy to stay home... please...

Something in his heart ached with the way she said that, anger almost gone, her voice cracking with sobs. He realized how harsh he must have sounded and leaned down to be at eye level with her.

\- Look... I-I’m sorry... I know it must hard for you. But I promise I’m doing what’s right to keep you safe. One day you’ll understand.

She simply scoffed, obviously not believing him. He didn’t know what to say, but tried to reassure her.

\- I won’t be gone for long, ok. I swear I’ll come back in a few days.

Among her tears, he could see the glint of hopefulness.

\- Promise?

Niles nodded, earning a smile from his daughter as he added.

\- Promise!

* * *

Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months and soon, Niles lost track of time. The war was getting more and more intense and the outlaw was almost always sent out on the frontlines. If not, he was used as a scout or ordered to help a neighboring village in need of assistance. He was fighting almost every day and was otherwise busy doing his part around the castle in the astral plane.

Through it all, however, he was still thinking about his daughter. Nina was often on his mind and he couldn’t deny how much he missed her. But he buried it under the conviction that he was doing what was best for her. As soon as this war would be over, she would be able to leave her deeprealm and live her life normally. Yes, that was the right decision, wasn’t it...?

He didn’t have time to dwell on these feelings though, as he was sent with a small group to an old rich man’s mansion in Nohrian territory. The man apparently had a thief problem and was afraid of getting robbed. On Silas’ suggestion, Niles was put on duty of catching the leader of the gang. That would be more than easy for him. He had enough experience to know all the little tricks and how to use them to his advantage.

It wasn’t long indeed before the rookie thief was caught in the outlaw’s sticky web. Oh…Niles couldn’t wait to revel in the shame and humiliation that amateur would feel, getting caught so easily. But the outlaw didn’t gloat for long as he unveiled the criminal, revealing the last face he expected to see.

Nina was standing tall, glaring at him. As soon as she identified him, her eyes went dark, glowing with anger and resentment. Had he not been so shocked, Niles could’ve almost felt intimidated. But that was not the concern on his mind at the moment.

What was she doing there?! Nina was supposed to be in her deeprealm, not roaming around with a band of criminals. The girl standing before him was clearly older than the child he left behind, almost done with her teenage years. Long gone were her little dresses as she was wearing now the kind of clothes he used to wear in his outlaw days. Everything about her screamed of how much she had changed... and what path she had taken.

He tried confronting her, as a father ought to do, but even failure is too weak of a word for what happened then. Not only did Nina refuse to obey him, but she hit him before escaping, still dead on determined to rob the mansion. Niles stood there, her punch having hurt him more emotionally than physically, and watched his child run away from him.

Once he managed to capture her again, Niles was finally able to talk to his daughter. Well, if you ignore Nina’s overdramatic and drastic reactions that is. As it turned out, it had been months since she left her deeprealm and founded this band of thieves. Though, as she put it, hers was a noble one, as they were stealing from the abusing rich people to give to the abused poor people.

Niles was still shocked that he had never been notified of his daughter’s escape. But he was also angry. Despite his warning, Nina had still turned to thievery as if it was a good and noble thing. Did all his talk fell on deaf ears?

They argued a lot but, at the end of the day, there was not much he could do. Nina had already proven she could survive in the real world and that she was a very competent fighter. And, even if he tried to lock her in her deeprealm, she would just find a way to escape again. So, he did the only other thing he could do; he demanded that she joined him in the army.

She accepted begrudgingly, though she got slightly happier when she heard her claims of the old man’s abuses were confirmed. She also seemed to rejoice at something else, but he could not quite understand what it was.

The old man was arrested, the thieves were released and Nina joined the army.

* * *

 

In the following days, it became no mystery to Niles that Nina was not just angry at him. She full on hated him. She did all she could to avoid her father, purposely ignoring him and, if he tried talking to her, she would snap and rebuff him until he left her alone. It’s true that Niles had a certain way with words and, while he usually enjoyed making people uncomfortable, it may not have helped his attempts to talk with Nina.

Some sides of his daughter had not changed at all though. She was still socially awkward, preferring to focus on ‘’people watching’’ and her endless daydreams. But forced he was to admit that long gone was the little girl who would cling to him desperately and welcome him with bone-crushing hugs. He always knew Nina would grow up and change, but he never thought their relationship would suffer that much. He knew for a fact that her mother was not enduring the same fate and was really wondering what he had done to deserve her spite. Niles really thought, now that she was out of the deeprealm, they could finally enjoy being with each other. But all attempts at a discussion with her always ended up with a fight and an angry daughter.

He had no idea what to do to better their relationship and was honestly starting to lose hope. If only he could just get closer to her.

Wait, closer... that may have given him an idea!

* * *

In the following days, he tried to find the best way to approach his daughter alone, but all his ideas kept striking him as kind of creepy. He usually wouldn’t mind but, if he wanted a shot at mending their relationship, he needed to be careful.

However, all planning went out the window, one sunny afternoon, after an intense battle against Vallite forces. They had just retracted back to the astral plane, barely making it out with everyone alive. Nina had been among the injured and, learning of his daughter’s state, Niles had then rushed to the infirmary.

He was now pacing outside the room, waiting for her to come out. This pacing reminded Niles of standing behind the exact same door the day Nina was born, though the anxious feeling was not the same today. Finally, he caught a glimpse of the long hair and red cape, as she exited the room, rushing past him.

He quickly went after her but, as he called out her name, she started walking faster, trying to leave him behind. He managed to catch up with her and grab hold of her arm before she could get away.

\- Let me go!!

Without really thinking, he just pulled the young girl to him, hugging her tightly. Niles simply sighed, relieved that she was safe and sound though currently fighting to break his hold.

\- I’m fine ok, so just let go of me already!

He finally loosened his arms and she quickly pushed him away. As she stood there in front of him, he took the time to take in her image.

Her hair was still braided in the same messy way he styled it when she was still a little kid. And the crunched way her face was pouting right now reminded him of the child he had reprimanded for stealing. It all felt like so long ago but, to him, it had not even been a year.

All that staring must have made Nina uncomfortable as she snapped at him.

\- Geez why are you staring at me? It’s creepy!

Niles took a few seconds before answering, with a sigh.

\- I guess I just miss the little girl you used to be...

It must not have been a good thing to say, as her face hardened at his words and she turned to look away, scoffing.

\- Well, you lost her a long time ago when you lied to her.

Lied? Niles had never lied to his daughter. Yes, he had not always told her everything, but not once had he consciously told Nina something that wasn’t true. He did not spread lies or promise anything false...  
Promise...

Then it all became clear. Niles suddenly remembered the promise he had made when he last left her in the deeprealm.

To come back soon. To not leave her behind.

Clearly, he didn’t hold to his words. And that was what Nina was resenting him for.

\- I am sorry Nina...

For once in his life, Niles didn’t find it hard to express his regrets and speak sincerely.

The young girl seemed surprised at the change of tone and darted her eyes back at him.

\- I know I let you down, I realize that now. I promised you something but never made good on that commitment. And I know that must have hurt you.

Her silence was almost cutting.

\- The truth is, when I put you in the deeprealm it was to protect you. To make sure you would never have to live through what I did. I had to make horrible choices in my past, in order to survive, and I swore to myself that you would never have to do the same. That you would never feel abandoned...

His gaze had drifted to the side as he was almost lost in memories.

\- Heh... Guess I really failed you on that one. Maybe the deeprealms were not such a good idea after all... Anyway, I should have been there for you when you needed me most and I’m sorry that I wasn’t. I am so proud of the woman you are today and I wish we could just push this under the rug and start again. Because I... I love you... and I miss you.

For a few seconds, the silence hung in the air as if everything was frozen and Niles just kept looking away, waiting for that Damocles sword to fall on him.

All he heard was soft choked back crying.

Instantly, Niles’ worried gaze darted back at his daughter.

\- Nina! Is something wrong?

She quickly interrupted him, intensely fixing him with her tear-filled eyes.

\- You idiot! I can’t believe you’re so... so... stupid!

Well, that was certainly not the reaction the outlaw was expecting and he only could raise an eyebrow in interrogation.

She clenched her fists, slightly shaking.

\- Why.... Why couldn’t you just have said all that before?!!

That last part was almost yelled and Niles carefully took a step closer to her.

\- Nina...

\- No. Don’t say a word. Now you shut up and listen, cause I’ve waited long enough to tell you all that.

Like sealed by magic, he closed his mouth, focusing his attention on her.

A few seconds passed before she started again, seemingly searching for her words.

\- You don’t get it... It’s... Ever since I can remember you were the only one who truly understood me. I love mother, I really do, but with you it was... I don’t know, it was different. Whenever you visited, I felt so happy and wanted to spend all the time in the world with you. I... I wanted to be like you, to make you proud...

Her tone hardened as she continued.

\- But you were always gone. For so long, I thought it was my fault, that I wasn’t good enough. And no matter what I did or how I pleaded, I always ended up watching you leave... That last time, when you promised to come back, I truly believed you... Hah! silly me, I know.

Nina choked back a bitter laugh as the tears were now falling freely on her cheeks.

\- And when you never returned, I felt so betrayed and abandoned, I decided to leave. I ran away and did the only thing I could think of. The thing that I knew would hurt you... I started stealing.

For once in his life, Niles was speechless, taking in all her confession. Their eyes met and, right at that moment, Niles could have sworn he was facing the little girl who begged him to stay home.

\- Through all those years I felt sad, angry, resentful... But most of all, I felt cast aside, like something unwanted. All that you just said... I’ve been waiting years to hear it. I just wanted to know why you left and to hear you apologize for breaking my heart. For making me believe I was a disappointment.

The outlaw couldn’t take it anymore and he rushed forward to wrap her in his arms. This time, she didn’t fight her father’s hug and Niles could hear her sob freely. He didn’t really know how to comfort someone, but he couldn’t stand watching her suffer like that. Awkwardly, he patted her back, struggling to find the right words.

\- Nina... I’m sorry, I... I didn’t know...

Niles just couldn’t believe he hadn’t seen it before. As unapologetic as he usually was, he truly felt bad on that one.

\- You’ve never been a disappointment, I swear... I have always felt so proud of you... Everything I did, I did it for you. I was certain it was the right thing to do. But I let you down and I apologize...

Time seemed to stop until he suddenly felt her arms wrapping around him, finally returning the hug.

-I... I’m sorry too... daddy.

Niles’s eye opened wide as he felt his heart leap. Daddy... she hadn’t called him that for so long...

He savored the moment, shushing her softly.

\- Shhh, don’t worry... It’s all in the past now.

The outlaw couldn’t tell how long they stayed there, simply holding each other. After all that time in the dark, they had both gotten the answer they were looking for and now, it was time to move on. Without a word, they pulled apart from each other and started walking together in the empty hallway. The moon was shining brightly and no sound could be heard.

\- Nina...

As Niles broke the silence, she raised her eyes to him.

\- Promise me to be careful in the coming battles. I know you can fight but you really scared me today. I couldn’t bear losing you so... you better outlive us all.

He smiled slyly but his words couldn’t be truer. As parents, they would be devastated if they had to lose their child. Nina simply nodded before adding.

\- Fine... I guess. But you better not die on me now or I will never forgive you!

Niles simply chuckled at the thought.

\- Well, many have tried to get my skin before but I guess I’m just a tough one to kill... Heh, but don’t worry, I don’t intend to die just yet...

She didn’t seem to find it very funny, so he added, in all seriousness.

\- And I promise... I will always come back home to you.

He heard her scoffed from behind him but, as he turned towards her, she smiled at him and nodded.

\- You better...

As Niles was about to turn around and resume his walk, she stopped him again.

\- You know, I’m going to continue stealing right? I really think I’m making a difference with it.

He suspected she would say something like that. There were things they may never see eye to eye about, but Niles could live with that. He took a step towards his daughter and put his hand on her shoulder.

\- I guess that’s fair... You are your own woman after all. I may not approve of all your choices but, in the end, I’m always going to stand by you... Can’t get rid of me that easily kiddo.

Seemingly surprised by his answer, she softly smiled before hugging him again, this time being the one to initiate the embrace.

\- Thank you, daddy... I... I l...

He heard the words struggle to get out, but it was fine. He didn’t need to hear them to know what she felt.

\- I know... And I love you too Nina.

He truly did, more than happy to have finally managed to mend back their relationship. There was still work to do but he was ready for it. This time, he would not allow himself to fail her again.

Niles knew that, someday, he would have to let her go as she would inevitably move on with her life. But right now, all he wanted was to hold on, just a little bit longer, to the little girl in his arms.

**Author's Note:**

> And they lived happily ever after xD
> 
> Nah but really I was thinking of writing other fics continuing this one or exploring other Father-Child relationship from Fates. Let me know if you would be interested.
> 
> Thanks again Fire Emblem Gen Week for the opportunity and idea ^^
> 
> Hope you guys liked it and see next story!


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